A qualitative research interview can be described as a process where knowledge is created in the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee (Kvale, 1996)
Positivist Interviews
Positivists believe the creation of 'pure' interviews
Positivists believe the interviews can provide a 'mirror reflection' of the social world. (Miller & Glassner, 2011)
Constructionist Interviews
Constructionists reject the positivist views on interviews
Constructionists argue that the interviews are context-dependent and context-created and can only be used in studying how people behave on interviews
Types of Interviews
Face-to-face
Telephone
Online
Paper pencil surveys
Group interviews
Different Forms of Interviews
Structured Interviews: close-ended questions, participant choose from a set of predetermined answers
Unstructured Interviews: conversations with a purpose
Semi-structured interviews: open ended questions but follows a general script and covers a list of topics-probing and participants respond in their own words
Advantages and Disadvantages of Unstructured Interviews
Advantages
It is excellent for building initial rapport before moving into formal interviews, and those who would not want formal interviews-build well on observations
Increase the silence and relevance of questions
To obtain detailed description of individual experiences
Validity of the findings is high
Help to discover relevant questions and their appropriate working for semi-structured interviews and questionnaires
Disadvantages
Less systematic and comprehensive if certain question do not arise, 'naturally'
Each interview tends to be unique-making difficult to analyze the data
It may take several conversation
Time consuming/does not work for those who wants to get to the point
Advantages and Disadvantages of Structured Interviews
Advantages
Maintain a focus on a given issue
Provides detailed information on the issue
Provides structural relationships of concepts
Reduces bias
Facilitates organization and analysis of the data
Disadvantages
Respondents must fit their experiences and feeling into the categories-impersonal, irrelevant, and mechanistic
Concepts unrelated to the interviews focus may not be found
Weak insight into procedural knowledge such as rules or problem solving strategies will not be explored
Advantages and Disadvantages of Semi-Structured Interviews
Advantages
Useful in projects dealing with people who are used to efficient use of their time
Researcher is clear about what you want from the interview, yet is flexible to follow new leads
Rapport building/feelings, reflections and emotions can be captured
In depth - high validity
Complex questions/issues can be discussed-probing
Interviews remain fairly conversational and situational
Easy to record interview (audio tape,video)
Easy to analyze
Disadvantages
To explore the topic of interest before hand in order to know the relevant questions of topics to be covered is challenging
Depends on the skills of interviewer
Salient topics may be inadvertently omitted
Sample size tends to be small
Time consuming/expensive
Difficult to analyze/generalize/validity and reliability
Reducing the comparability of responses
Bias may be projected in the question
Types of Topics in Questions
Behaviors: what a person had done or is doing
Opinions/values: what a person thinks about the topic
Feelings: what a person feels rather than what a person thinks
Knowledge: to get facts about the topic
Sensory: what people have seen, touched, heard, tasted or smelled
Background/demographics: standard background questions, such as age, education, sex, etc.
Interviews/Focus Groups-Positives
Endless possibility of answers
Insiders perspective
Interviewee's 'voice' can be heard
Creates a sense of 'intimacy'
New theories can emerge
Interviews as exploratory technique
Focus groups and group interviews allow people to query each other
Interviews/Focus Groups-Negatives
Interview sample size tend to be small, questioning validity
Access to interviewees
Is the interviewee telling the truth, lying or simply telling me what I want to hear?
Definition
A qualitative research interview can be described as a process where knowledge is created in the interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee (Kvale, 1996)Positivist Interviews
Constructionist Interviews
Types of Interviews
Different Forms of Interviews
Advantages and Disadvantages of Unstructured Interviews
Advantages- It is excellent for building initial rapport before moving into formal interviews, and those who would not want formal interviews-build well on observations
- Increase the silence and relevance of questions
- To obtain detailed description of individual experiences
- Validity of the findings is high
- Help to discover relevant questions and their appropriate working for semi-structured interviews and questionnaires
DisadvantagesAdvantages and Disadvantages of Structured Interviews
Advantages- Maintain a focus on a given issue
- Provides detailed information on the issue
- Provides structural relationships of concepts
- Reduces bias
- Facilitates organization and analysis of the data
DisadvantagesAdvantages and Disadvantages of Semi-Structured Interviews
Advantages- Useful in projects dealing with people who are used to efficient use of their time
- Researcher is clear about what you want from the interview, yet is flexible to follow new leads
- Rapport building/feelings, reflections and emotions can be captured
- In depth - high validity
- Complex questions/issues can be discussed-probing
- Interviews remain fairly conversational and situational
- Easy to record interview (audio tape,video)
- Easy to analyze
DisadvantagesTypes of Topics in Questions
Interviews/Focus Groups-Positives
Interviews/Focus Groups-Negatives